Pineapple Dance Studio on Madison held a weekend jamboree Jan. 3 and Jan. 4, offering free lessons in Latin tribal fusion, hip hop, belly dancing and more. Erika Ochoa runs the studio and is always looking for new students to teach. You can call Erika at the studio at 488-8115 or 299-2608.

The G.K Chesterton Society will meet at Centuries & Sleuths on Saturday, Jan. 10 at 2 p.m. On Jan. 16 at 7 p.m. there will be a book signing and discussion of J.A. Jance’s latest, Cruel Intent, the fourth Ali Reynolds mystery.

The Sisters in Crime will meet on Saturday, Jan. 17 at 11 a.m. Guest speaker will be Jamie Freveletti, a Chicago mystery writer. Ms. Freveletti will give advice to aspiring authors on how to find an agent, how to sell a book, and what pitfalls to avoid.

Our favorite bookseller, Augie Aleksy, will be a featured speaker on Feb. 6 at the 11th annual Love is Murder mystery conference at the Westin North Shore Hotel, 601 N. Milwaukee in Wheeling. Augie will talk about the life, times and foibles of the legendary Sherlock Holmes. To attend the three-day conference, call the Westin at 847-777-6500.

Kathy Leninger has a birthday on Jan. 8 along with Tina Marcantonio and Charlie Vederal. On Jan. 9, Danielle Riske, Phil Bohnert and Brianna Dodge; the 10th, Tyler Daniel, Kirsten Bjornson and Mary Gallela; on the 11th, Victoria Burdett; on the 12th, Nancy Blum, Ryan Farrell and Ellen Krupa; Jan. 13, Jacqui Gillian, John Gillian, Sue Bracker, Sean Goodman, Martha Lichtenberg and Timothy X. Lane.

Jan. 7 is the birthday of former president Millard Fillmore.

Jan. 9 is former president Richard Nixon’s birthday.

On Jan. 10 the 1905 St. Petersburg Massacre served as a major catalyst for the Russian Revolution; Joan Baez has a birthday (1941); and in 1946 the first U.N. assembly was held. Jan. 10 is also Penguin Day in Point Pleasant Beach, N.J. (call 732-899-1212 for more information if you are a penguin lover). In 1984 the U.S. and the Vatican re-established relations after a 117-year break. Alexander Hamilton fought his duel with Aaron Burr on Jan. 10 in 1755; John MacDonald, first prime minister of Canada was born in 1815 in Glasgow. On this date in 1964, the surgeon general of the U.S. declared that cigarettes are probably dangerous to your health.

Jan. 12 marked the premier of All in the Family on television. It was based on a British comedy, ‘Till Death Do Us Part. The day also marks the birth of Edmund Burke in 1729 who, among other things, said, “the only thing necessary for evil to prevail is for good men to do nothing.” Jack London was born Jan. 12 in 1876. Women gained the right to vote in 1920. On Jan. 12, 1951, Rush Limbaugh was born.

On Jan. 13, 1968, country singer Johnny Cash entertained at Folsom Prison.

Jackie is a former Chicago and Elmwood Park schoolteacher with an undying love for music, friendly pets and a host of life’s other treasures too numerous to list. She was born on the far southwest side of Chicago in a great neighborhood when it was a great time to be young.